4 SCIENCE AND CULTURE. [LECT. 



opinion that science is speculative rubbish ; that 

 theory and practice have nothing to do with one 

 another ; and that the scientific habit of mind is an 

 impediment, rather than an aid, in the conduct of 

 ordinary affairs. 



I have used the past tense in speaking of the 

 practical men for although they were very formid- 

 able thirty years ago, I am not sure that the pure 

 species has not been extirpated. In fact, so far as 

 mere argument goes, they have been subjected to 

 such a feu d'enfer that it is a miracle if any have 

 escaped. But I have remarked that your typical 

 practical man has an unexpected resemblance to one 

 of Milton's angels. His spiritual wounds, such as are 

 inflicted by logical weapons, may be as deep as a well 

 and as wide as a church door, but beyond shedding a 

 few drops of ichor, celestial or otherwise, he is no 

 whit the worse. So, if any of these opponents be left, 

 I will not waste time in vain repetition of the demon- 

 strative evidence of the practical value of science ; but 

 knowing that a parable will sometimes penetrate 

 where syllogisms fail to effect an entrance, I will offer 

 a story for their consideration. 



Once upon a time, a boy, with nothing to depend 

 upon but his own vigorous nature, was thrown into 

 the thick of the struggle for existence in the midst of 

 a great manufacturing population. He seems to have 

 had a hard fight, inasmuch as, by the time he was 

 thirty years of age, his total disposable funds amounted 

 to twenty pounds. Nevertheless, middle life found 

 him giving proof of his comprehension of the practical 



